1. Technical Field
This invention relates to consumable charging containers used to charge cooled metals with impurities into furnaces or other vessels.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art devices known are applicant's own U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,328 which discloses the basic consumable charge box of a specific consumable material formulation with modified bases having stacking abilities and a central multiple pour box filling arrangement.
Other prior art patents in the field including U.S. Pat. No. 152,329 which is directed to wooden boxes forming molds embedded in sand, clay or earth materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,043 discloses a consumable fiber liner for an ingot mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,911 is directed to tubs formed of inorganic fibrous materials in ingot molds.
Other prior art patents are directed towards consumable hot tops for ingot molds and blast furnace runners, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,798 (LaBate), 3,212,749 (LaBate), 4,121,805 (LaBate), 4,186,908 (LaBate), 4,262,885 (LaBate), and 4,350,325 (LaBate).
The present invention discloses a major improvement over prior art wherein consumable charge boxes for recharging materials into a furnace or a vessel for the production of molten metal is disclosed wherein the charge boxes in the form of consumable containers are of a shape and size that enables the container with solidified molten metal within can be picked up and recharged into the furnace for rapid remelting due to the combination of residual heat within the container before total solidification and the insulation of the container itself. Additionally, the interdependence of containers is disclosed wherein multiple containers can be combined together into a single container in which the contents of each container communicates with the adjacent containers.